Royal Wedding Parties: New York Gatherings to Attend

Can’t camp out along the official royal-wedding route, like these revelers? Visit one of these New York events. Photograph by Elizabeth Dodds.

The royal wedding is finally here, and it’s time to celebrate! After all, you deserve it. Between your newfound Daily Mail addiction and regular visits to Kate Middleton for the Win, you’ve barely had a chance to catch your breath. Early Church Bird Special

Venerable Wall Street landmark Trinity Church will be hosting a large-screen viewing of the royal wedding starting at five a.m. (The Church is part of the worldwide Anglican community that also includes the Church of England, whose head, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will officiate William and Kate’s ceremony.) Free and open to the public.

All Day Street Party Affair

Greenwich Avenue is the place to be if you’d like to make a day of it. Start early at Lyon, which will be hosting a 6 a.m. live viewing complete with traditional British fare and, for those who choose to imbibe on U.K. time, Buck’s Fizz, English beers, and specialty cocktails. There will be subsequent seatings for later viewings at 9 and noon. At 10:30 a.m., Lyon’s neighbors Tea & Sympathy—beloved purveyors of all things British—will be opening their doors. Live entertainment will begin around 3 p.m., and will include live performances from Morris Dancers and the N.Y.P.D. Brass Band.

Cliquey Britty Party

Want to avoid the hoi polloi? British-born New York power couple Lucy Sykes and Euan Rellie will host a more exclusive party on Friday from 8 to 11 p.m. It will be held at Upper East Side British-invasion restaurant Desmond’s, where English fare will be served and the wedding will be replayed. Rellie tells us he looks forward to “drinking a gin punch in a British restaurant with all our English friends,” adding, “We’ll of course invite a few Americans in response to the hospitality that this country has offered up over the last 15 years.” The party will be greased by a special gin punch designed for the occasion by Beefeater. “A good way to celebrate,” Rellie points out, “because this is a gin that has been purportedly drunk by many royal-family members through the centuries.” Quite.

Fancy Dress for the Rest

If you can’t get into Desmond’s, don’t let your outfit go to waste. Migrate from the Upper to the Lower East Side and head to the Queen Vic, whose 4 p.m. royal party features a free-drink special for those who dress in royal-wedding attire.